Recommendations of the Editorial team
Over almost seven decades in Hollywood, Robert Redford shaped generations and worked far beyond the canvas. The actor who died on September 16 at the age of 89 Played in over 50 films, appeared in countless TV productions in the sixties and also influenced the cinema as a director and producer. Colleagues, filmmakers and fans already feel the gap he leaves.
Sundance and the independent cinema
“It hit me hard when I read this morning that Bob was no longer there,” said Jane Fonda, according to New York Post. “I can’t stop crying. He was a beautiful person in every respect. He stood for an America that we have to fight for.” Fonda and Redford stood together for “Barefoot in the Park” in front of the camera. Redford was a lifelong activist whose films often reinforced social and ecological topics – such as “The Candidate” (1972) or “Die Unsklittlich” (1976).
“Robert Redford died,” wrote author Stephen King on X. “He was part of an exciting new Hollywood in the 1970s. At the beginning of the eighties, Redford founded the Sundance Institute, which gave independent voices a platform. “Our film ‘Coda’ was only known through Sundance. And Sundance is only available for Robert Redford,” wrote actress Marlee Matlin. “A genius has gone. Quiet in peace.”
“Bob’s vision of a place for independent voices started a movement that inspired generations of artists and redefined the cinema,” Tiffany Duersch from Sundance Institute told NBC. “We will miss his generosity, clarity, curiosity, his rebellious spirit and his love for the creative process.”
Voices from Hollywood
“Your art exists time,” wrote Rita Wilson. “You gave us the Sundance Festival and brought nature aware. As a director, we also saw your art behind the camera. You will always be reminded.” Colman Domingo added: “Thank you, Mr. Redford, for your lasting influence. He will be noticeable over generations.”
“One of the lions has gone. Quiet in peace, my dear friend,” said Meryl Streep in “The Independent.” Together they played in 1985 in “Beyond Africa” and in 2007 in “Von Löwen and Lämmen”.
Director James Gunn remembered Instagram: “I grew up with his films: his calm, unobtrusive representations, his constant elegance. He was the film star.” Gunn listed his ten favorite films of Redford, including “The three days of the Condor”, “the incorruptible”, “the steadfast”, “All is Lost” and “a normal family”. Rosie O’Donnell wrote about a picture of “As we were”: “We will never be the same again. Good night, Bob. What a legacy.”
An artistic pioneer
Antonio Banderas praised Redford as “icon of cinema in every respect”. Ron Howard called him an “artistic gamuchanger” and emphasized how much America’s independent scene inspired.
Actor Adil Hussain also wrote: “He did not swam in the mainstream. He avoided binary telling. A remarkable artist. God bless his soul.”
The author Attica Locke recalled a letter she received in 2000: “The real reward for me is to know that Sundance means something to the artists.” Locke wrote: “He changed my life. He went the path of a true artist – with the belief that it is the task of the artist to raise his voice. He also enough for those who came after him. I continue to carry this legacy.”